Control network, system and method

Abstract

A control network, system and method is disclosed for control of a plurality of entities. The control network comprises a control hub, a data repository and a plurality of control agents. The data repository models each entity as a plurality of granular components, each granular component having a type selected from a set of granular component types. The control hub is configured to receive performance data on each entity, translate the performance data into data on the granular components and store the transformed data in the data repository in association with its respective granular component. The control hub is further configured to determine an optimal control action in respect of a granular component of one of the entities in dependence on the granular component's transformed data and on transformed data in the data repository for other granular components having the same type. Each of the plurality of control agents being linked to one of the entities and associated with one or more of the respective entity's granular components, the control hub being arranged to communicate the control action to the control agent associated with the granular component to trigger the control agent to effect the control action via the link.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A control network for control of a plurality of entities, the control network comprising:
 a control hub, a data repository and a plurality of control agents, 
 the data repository modelling each entity as a plurality of granular components, each granular component having a type selected from a set of granular component types, 
 wherein the control hub is configured to receive performance data on each entity, translate the performance data into data on the granular components and store the transformed data in the data repository in association with its respective granular component, the control hub being further configured to determine an optimal control action in respect of a particular granular component of one of the entities in dependence on the particular granular component's transformed data and on transformed data in the data repository for other granular components having the same type, 
 each of the plurality of control agents being linked to one of the entities and associated with one or more of the respective entity's granular components, the control hub being arranged to communicate the control action to the control agent associated with the particular granular component to trigger the control agent to effect the control action via the link. 
 
     
     
       2. The control network of  claim 1 , wherein the entity is modelled as a hierarchy of the plurality of the granular components, each respective granular component corresponding to an element of the entity, the element comprising a component, attribute or function, each respective granular component defining inputs consumed by the element, outputs produced by the element and inter-relationships with other elements represented by inter-relationships with other granular components. 
     
     
       3. The control network of  claim 2 , the hierarchy further defining a hierarchy between control agents whereby a control agent at a higher level in the hierarchy is configured to authorise a control action for a subsidiary granular component in the hierarchy, the control hub being configured to communicate the control action upon said authorisation. 
     
     
       4. The control network of  claim 1 , wherein the control hub is arranged to record data on the control action linked to the particular granular component in the data repository, the control hub being further configured to receive data on an outcome of effecting the control action and record data on the outcome linked to the particular granular component in the data repository. 
     
     
       5. The control network of  claim 4 , wherein the control hub is configured, during communication of the control action to the control agent, to obtain data from the repository on prior applications of the control action and communicate the obtained data to the control agent in an anonymised form. 
     
     
       6. The control network of  claim 1 , wherein the control agent comprises an application executable on a user computing device and configured to present a control action received from the control hub to a user via a user interface to approve the control action. 
     
     
       7. The control network as claimed in  claim 6 , the application being configured to present, via the user interface, an identified control action to the user and direct the user on how to apply the control action to an element of the entity. 
     
     
       8. The control network as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the application includes an interface to an artificial intelligence system configured to simulate human conversation for directing the user on how to apply the control action to the element, the artificial intelligence system being selected from a set including a chatbot, expert system, neural network, heuristic system and a decision tree. 
     
     
       9. The control network as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein upon receiving multiple control actions from the control hub, the application being configured to highlight, via the user interface, the control action predicted to have the highest potential impact to the entity. 
     
     
       10. The control network of  claim 6 , wherein the application is further configured to receive feedback from the user on the outcome of the control action, the application being configured to communicate the feedback to the control hub. 
     
     
       11. The control network of  claim 1 , wherein the control hub is configured to determine an optimal control action from a set of predetermined control actions, the set of predetermined control actions being linked to data in the repository on historic applications of the respective control action. 
     
     
       12. The control network of  claim 11 , wherein the control hub is configured to select the control action from the set of predetermined control actions by:
 identifying the particular granular component in the model in which the transformed performance data is below-average compared to other granular components of that type; and, selecting the control action having a historic application for that type of granular component in which the data on the historic application showed improvement after the application of the control action. 
 
     
     
       13. The control network of  claim 12 , wherein the control hub is configured to substantially continuously monitor the received data to classify the received data against previously seen data trends or patterns for granular components of that type. 
     
     
       14. A control system for controlling of a plurality of entities, the control system comprising:
 a control hub, a data repository, a template library and a plurality of control agents, 
 the template library defining a plurality of granular components types, each of the granular component types defining, for each granular component of that type, inputs consumed, outputs produced and inter-relationships with other components; and 
 the control hub being configured to determine a hierarchy of the granular components that correspond to elements of the entity, each element comprising a component, attribute or function of the entity or entity part, generate a model for the hierarchy from granular components corresponding to the granular component types in the template library and store the model in the data repository, 
 wherein the control hub is configured to receive performance data on each entity, translate the performance data into data on the granular components and store the transformed data in the data repository in association with its respective granular component, the control hub being further configured to determine an optimal control action in respect of a particular granular component of one of the entities in dependence on the particular granular component's transformed data and on transformed data in the data repository for other granular components having the same type, each of the plurality of control agents being linked to one of the entities and associated with one or more of the respective entity's granular components, the control hub being arranged to communicate the control action to the control agent associated with the particular granular component to trigger the control agent to effect the control action via the link. 
 
     
     
       15. A method for controlling a plurality of entities executed by a control hub and a plurality of control agents that are remote of the control hub, the method comprising:
 modelling, in a repository, the plurality of entities, the model for each entity comprising a plurality of granular components, each granular component having a type selected from a set of granular component types; 
 receiving, at the control hub, performance data on each entity; 
 translating, at the control hub, the performance data into data on the granular components; 
 storing the transformed data in a data repository in association with its respective granular component; 
 determining, by the control hub, an optimal control action in respect of a particular granular component of one of the entities in dependence on the granular component's transformed data and on transformed data in the data repository for other granular components having the same type; 
 linking each of the plurality of control agents to one of the entities and associating each control agent with one or more of the respective entity's granular components; 
 communicating, by the control hub, the control action to the control agent associated with the particular granular component; and, 
 effecting, by the control agent, the control action on the entity via the link.